Malta cheers as Baldacchino wins a WDC heat

The small country of Malta is celebrating the success of Noel Baldacchino in the final heat of the World Driving Championships at Hippodrome 3R in Quebec on Wednesday night. Baldacchino has won more than 900 races in his career and added to that tally when he pushed Tidewater Tomahawk away from behind the leader in the home straight to score. Danzig Moon, the leader turning for home galloped and ensured a comfortable victory for the son of Western Hanover.

It capped off a successful night for Baldacchino as he moved from eighth spot into fifth with only four races remaining in the championship. The remaining events will be staged at Charlottetown on Friday night.

In other WDC action

HEAT 1 – Marcus Miller picked up the first heat of the night when 5yo gelding Maracasso proved too strong for Ninoscredit and James MacDonald. Miller started the evening in third position and jumped up into second spot on the back of the victory.

Miller gave the son of Lis Mara the run of the race before moving out three wide inside the final 400 metres of the event. MacDonald was racing behind the leader and was forced to ease around the tiring horse and it was at this crucial moment Miller and Maracasso pinched the winning break.

HEAT 2 – Federal Strike won the second heat for the local star James MacDonald. Captain Canada was happy to hand the front over to Bjorn Goop inside the final lap but was able to get into the clear up the straight to score narrowly.

The victory stretched MacDonald’s grip on the championship although he was staying level headed after the win.

“There are plenty of talented drivers in this series and it only takes them a race or two to get on a run and the whole series can change,” MacDonald said.

“I’m happy with how everything is going for me right now and hopefully we can keep chipping away in the remaining races.”

HEAT 3 – Mika Forss picked up from his disappointment of losing a race when running inside the marker pegs at Georian Downs last night with a victory at Hippodrome 3R. Forss drove Shanghai B G in the event and from barrier one ended up behind the leader. Jolts Prayer driven by Dexter Dunn led for most of the journey only to be grabbed in the shadows of the post.

What made the victory by Forss even more special – the seat on his sulky broke around the home turn and he was forced to balance on the sulky in the straight and lift his horse in a driving finish.

“I knew it (the seat) was broken on the turn but the horse kept going and although it was only a short straight, he managed to win narrowly,” Forss said.

HEAT 4 – Will be a memorable night for Noel Baldacchino with the victory on Tidewater Tomahawk. Graham was 10th on JDS Caleb Man and Purdon was 8th on Wine After Five.

1st Tidewater Tomahawk Noel Baldacchino MALTA

2nd Hard Rock Dexter Dunn NEW ZEALAND

3rd Winoc Jimmy James MacDonald CANADA

The overall points standing is with four heats remaining

1st James MacDonald CANADA 192 points

2nd Mika Forss FINLAND 166 points

3rd Marcus Miller USA 162.5 points

4th Dexter Dunn NEW ZEALAND 131 points

5th Noel Baldacchino MALTA 120 points

6th Shane Graham AUSTRALIA 113 points

7th Bjorn Goop SWEDEN 111 points

8th Gerhard Mayr AUSTRIA 109 points

9th Eirik Hoitomt NORWAY 108 points

10th Rik Depuydt BELGIUM 85 points

11th Mark Purdon NEW ZEALAND 83.5 points

With only four heats remaining and at least two good drives it is hard to see MacDonald being beaten. He will become the first Canadian driver since Jody Jamison in 2011 to win the World Driving Championship.